How to Make a Rosary Instructions -
Make Your Own Rosary!

Here, learn step by step how to make a rosary. Use easy illustrated instructions for making a rosary with wire and beads.

A Bead Jewelry Project
Rosary Making

In this wire jewelry project, we'll use an easy wire jewelry making technique: simple wire loops.

This is a five decade beaded hematite rosary that I made for my nephew.

Handmade Beaded Rosary Made with Wire and Hematite Beads

Everyone loved it! I must admit it is beautiful.

I love it so much that though I am not Catholic I made one for myself. (I use it as a reminder to pray through life's little curve balls!)

Five decade rosaries are very long (or large rosaries) and have great presence.

I hope you'll be as captivated by making your five decade rosary as I am by having made this one.

Instructions on How to Make a Rosary
A Beautiful Beaded Hematite Rosary

Tutorial Category: Wire Jewelry Project

Skill Level: Beginning Wire Jewelry Making

Prerequisite Beading Techniques:

If you are new to jewelry making, learn and practice these jewelry making techniques first...

How to Make Simple or Plain Wire Loops Using Wire

How to Open Split Rings

Pictures of Beaded Rosary Making Supplies

Rosary Making Parts and Supplies

Sterling Silver Wire Coil

List of Rosary Making Supplies to Make a Rosary Necklace

• 1 crucifix
• 1 2-to-1 rosary medallion jewelry connector (rosary center)
• 53 6mm round beads (your choice of color)
• 6 8mm round beads
• 28 split rings
• a few feet (a meter or two) of round half hard wire
• about 7" (17.8 cm) of jewelry chain
• beading board
• marker pen

Bead Jewelry Making Tools and/or Pliers

• round nose pliers
• chain nose pliers
• split ring pliers
• wire cutters

Here is an explanation and pictures of jewelry pliers used in bead jewelry projects.

Step by Step Illustrated Instructions on
How to Make a Rosary

1. Gather your supplies, tools and beading board.

Layout the bead pattern for your handmade rosary as shown in the two photos below.

Layout of beads on a beading board showing the position
of hail mary and our father beads to make a rosary.

2. Cut 14 pieces of chain with 3 links in each length of chain or about 1/2" (1.3 cm) lengths.

4. The picture below shows the placement of each chain link.

Place one chain link on each side of each 8mm bead (Our Father bead) and each side of the top of the rosary center.

How to Make a Rosary
Beaded Rosary Instructions Continued

5. Before you start to make the simple wire loops, use a marker to mark the tip of your round nose pliers. This will help you to make consistent sized wire loops.

6. Using the round nose pliers, make a simple wire loop on one end of a piece of wire, thread an 8mm bead onto the wire and make a simple wire loop on the second end of the wire. ( How to Make Simple or Plain Wire Loops Using Wire)

Make another bead unit for each of the five remaining 8mm beads for a total of six 8mm bead units. Set them aside.

7. Using the round nose pliers, make a simple wire loop on one end of a piece of wire, thread a 6mm bead onto the wire and make a simple wire loop on the second end of the wire.

Make ten 6mm bead units.

8. Now, connect the ten bead units by interlocking (using the chain nose pliers, open the wire loop of one bead unit, thread on the wire loop of a second bead unit, close the wire loop) the wire loop of one bead unit to the wire loop of another bead unit.

The wire loops should be closed snugly together.

How to Make a Rosary
Beaded Rosary Instructions Continued

9. Repeat Steps 7 and 8 until you have five sets of ten 6mm bead units.

10. Using the round nose pliers, make a simple wire loop on one end of a piece of wire, thread a 6mm bead onto the wire and make a simple wire loop on the second end of the wire.

Make two more. Connect three 6mm bead units together.

11. Attach a chain link (you made these in Step 3) to each ring on the rosary medallion.

Open the split ring attached to one end of a chain link and slide it into a ring on the rosary center ( How to Open Split Rings).

12. Attach the crucifix drop to the rosary center. This is what the rosary drop will look like when you're done.

Here is how to do it.

Using the chain nose pliers to open and close the simple wire loops and split ring pliers to open the split rings, attach the components in this order:

Attach one 8mm Our Father bead unit to the chain link at the bottom of the rosary center.

Attach a chain link to the second wire loop of the 8mm Our Father bead unit.

Attach the three 6mm beads unit to the split ring at the bottom of the chain link.

Attach a chain link to the bottom of the three 6mm beads unit.

Attach one 8mm Our Father bead unit to the split ring at the bottom of the chain link.

Attach a chain link to the second wire loop of the 8mm Our Father bead unit.

Attach the crucifix to split ring at the bottom of the chain link.

You've completed the crucifix drop.

How to Make a Rosary
Beaded Rosary Instructions Continued

13. Attach the remaining bead units to the rosary center to finish making the rosary.

Attach the bead and chain link units in this order:

• one chain link (already attached to the rosary center)
• one 6mm Hail Mary bead unit
• one chain link
• one 8mm Our Father bead unit

14. Continue to connect the bead and chain link units in this order or pattern, ending by connecting the fifth Hail Mary bead unit to the chain link already connected to the rosary center.

You're done! You know how to make a rosary with wire and beads.

May you find comfort and solace in your beautiful chain beaded rosary as you use it to say the rosary.

You may also want to use these beaded rosary instructions for making a rosary necklace using beading wire (flexwire).

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